Canada is set to become the first country in the world to print warnings directly on cigarettes about the dangers associated with smoking.
Smokers will literally have warnings like “Cigarettes cause cancer” and “Poison in every puff” spelled out beneath their noses every time they take a drag, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Other warnings printed on cigarettes north of the U.S. border will read “Cigarettes damage your organs” and “Tobacco smoke harms children” when the federal mandate is imposed on king-size cigarettes Aug. 1. Manufacturers of regular size cigarettes have until July 31st 2024 to add warnings to single smokes. Cigarillo producers have until April 30, 2020 to comply.
Canada’s Associate Minister of Health and Minister for Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett said Wednesday individual warnings on cigarettes paired with “ updated graphic images ” on packaging marks a bold new approach to saving lives.
“Tobacco use continues to kill 48,000 Canadians each year,” Bennett said. “We are taking action by being the first country in the world to label individual cigarettes with health warning messages.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 10 times as many Americans die each year due to smoking.
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada CEO Doug Roth praised the government’s efforts to further warn smokers of the risks. “Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada and these important new measures will protect youth and support current smokers in their efforts to quit,” Roth said.
Canadian officials hope to reduce tobacco consumption below 5% by the year 2035. CBC reports that tobacco use is at 13%. Nearly half of Canada’s health care costs associated with substance issues are blamed on cigarettes.
The new warnings on cigarette packs and boxes will cover at least 75%. The inside of the packaging for cigarettes sold by retailers will also be updated with new messages starting April 30, 2020.
A CBC reporter interviewed a smoker who said she’d like to see the packaging of vaping products reform. The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, published recently, found that teens in Canada’s Great White North had one of the world’s highest vaping rates.
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